Parliament adopted the state budget law for 2026 in the second reading, confirming a budget model that relies heavily on borrowing and prioritizes current spending, while leaving limited space for investment.
The document projects revenues of about 79.7 billion lei. Expenditures will rise by 7 percent compared to 2025 and exceed 100.57 billion lei, according to BANI.MD. As a result, the budget deficit will surpass 20.9 billion lei and will be covered almost entirely through domestic and external borrowing. External loans will account for 13 billion lei, while more than 7 billion lei will come from the domestic market.
One of the most sensitive aspects of the budget concerns salary increases for top officials and key state institutions. The budget provides pay rises for the president of the Republic of Moldova, the prime minister, ministers, heads of central public authorities, as well as judges and prosecutors. In the case of judges and prosecutors, monthly salary increases may reach several thousand lei. However, not all public sector employees will benefit from similar adjustments, widening wage disparities within the sector.
Under the new provisions, the president’s monthly salary will increase by 1,400 lei, the prime minister’s by 2,500 lei, while ministers and heads of institutions will receive comparable increases. Judges and prosecutors will see monthly pay rises ranging from 3,200 to 4,700 lei.
The budget also allocates increased funding to justice and security institutions, including the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court of Justice, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the National Anti-Corruption Center, and the Information and Security Service. These increases cover both personnel costs and operational expenses.
At the same time, the budget shows that the social insurance and health insurance systems remain dependent on transfers from the state budget. This indicates that the systems are not self-sustaining through contributions and remain vulnerable to potential fiscal adjustments.